ACBL CONDITIONS OF CONTEST

The General Conditions of Contest for pair events will apply to this event, subject to the following special conditions of contest.

These Conditions of Contest may not be changed at any level of play during the course of this event.

Lack of knowledge does not constitute cause for exemption.

1. The Blue Ribbon Pairs will consist of six sessions, two qualifying, two semi-final and two final.

2. The Blue Ribbon Pairs will be open to pairs, each of whom has a Blue Ribbon Qualification and is a paid up member of ACBL. Use of one qualification does not cancel others. See Appendix R for more complete information on how one obtains a qualification.

3. A player who has equivalent status in a bridge organization other than the ACBL and is a member of ACBL may request, in writing, from the Chief Tournament Director a one-time exemption, in their first year of ACBL membership, to enter.

4. For the two qualifying sessions the field will be divided into comparison/qualifying groups of two sections except that one three section group is permitted when necessary. For the semi-final sessions there will be across the field scoring with up to seven sections. With more than seven sections the DIC may, at his or her discretion, score across the field if logistically appropriate or arrange for two or three section comparison/qualifying groups. The matchpoints on each board will be calculated across each group for the two qualifying sessions. Approximately 50% (but in no case less than 40%) of the field in each group will qualify from the qualifying to the semi-final and from the semi-final to the final.

Ties for the last qualifying position will be broken as per ACBL regulation.

5. There will be a carryover from the qualifying sessions to the semi-final. The carryover will be calculated as per ACBL regulations but the spread from top to bottom can be no greater than two and one half boards.

There will be a carryover from the semi-final sessions to the final as well but the spread can be no greater than four boards.

6. For purposes of qualifying or for determining final overall ranking any fraction of a matchpoint difference will sufficient separation.

7. Management, at it’s discretion, may, for the final day, authorise barometer scoring with publication of previous rounds’ results and standings throughout the day with a one round lag through the penultimate round (i.e., the last preliminary posting will be through the anti-penultimate round).

8. Regarding any of the above or any of the general conditions of ACBL pair events, the decision of the Director in Charge shall be final.